Eleven-year-old Franklin Brou gets set to ride Saturday along the Kansas River. Brou and other kids took part in the Big

Lending a helping hand can go a long a way in someone’s life. For someone in need, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters club often lends that hand. Saturday along the trails of the Kansas River, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters club joined up with the Lawrence Mountain Bike Assn. to help find potential matches for their kids.

In their “Big for a Day” trail run, four club members and seven guests participated. The event is held once a month and is open for all kids who are on the wait list.

Twelve-year-old Gabe Haas was one of the kids who came out to enjoy the trails and the Saturday weather.

“I like to bike quite a bit,” Haas, a West Junior High student, said. “My big sister was sick, but I came out here anyway.”

Big Brothers and Big Sisters regional executive Becky Price said the mix of kids and bikes seemed natural.

“Many kids enjoy the activity,” she said. “It is just such a fun thing for kids to do.”

Since 1991, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Douglas County has paired over 1600 kids and adults.

And such numbers have been aided by events like the “Big for a Day” bike ride.

Saturday’s trail ride spanned the trails along the Kaw River and while some those paths may have been bumpy, the participants were in good hands.

Three members of the group, Kevin and Sophia Liu and Lisa Hallberg, were trained to deliver basic first aid in the event of an accident.

“We’re all members of the International Mountain Bike Patrol,” Hallberg said. “So if something happens we can help.”

This event is one among many held during the year, in which the community comes out to support the kids who have waited to be paired.

“We are very fortunate,” Price said. “We have a lot of businesses and other groups who really come out and support the effort when we need it.”

In March 2003 the Lawrence Mountain Bike Assn. was just such a group. The association along with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Douglas County teamed up to offer riding events for kids on the wait list.

And so far the program has seemed to have become a success.

“I would say it has,” Kevin Liu, a Big Brother himself, said. “It’s worked because Big Brothers and Big Sisters are typically paired with club members, and there has been some matches. So it has been a success.”

Cammy Challender, a case manager for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, said the program offers kids a variety of things to participate in and it is a great opportunity.

“It’s a chance for the kids to stay connected with the program,” she said. “And who knows? Maybe one day they’ll be leaders of the Boys and Girls club.”